Battery terminal



Dec. 28, 1954 P. M. ALLEN BATTERY TERMINAL Filed May 13, 1952 Fig.

Paul M. .Allen INVENTOR.

BY W-m,

United States Patent Q BATTERY TERMINAL Paul M. Allen, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 13, 1952, Serial No. 287,503

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-239) This invention relates in general to electrical terminals, and more specifically to a terminal for connecting battery wires to binding posts of batteries.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved battery terminal which may be quickly and easily secured to a binding post of a battery through a minimum of effort.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved battery terminal for connecting a battery wire to a battery binding post, said battery terminal being pro vided with a rotatably locking cam to efliciently secure the battery terminal to the binding post in firmly anchored relation thereto, and in such manner that risk of accidental displacement thereof from the binding post by reason of vibrations, jars, etc. is eliminated, while at the same time affording a locking means which can also be quickly and easily released for disconnecting the connec tor from the binding post of the battery.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved battery terminal which tightly fits a binding post of a battery and which is not likely to freeze to the post due to corrosion, the battery terminal being easily removed from the associated binding post of a battery not withstanding the occurrence of corrosive effects.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved battery post which is of simple construction and to which a battery wire may be quickly and easily attached, said battery terminal being easily formed and assembled whereby it is economically feasible.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which forms a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of a conventional battery and showing the improved battery terminal, which is the subject of this invention, connected thereto, said battery terminal having a battery wire secured to one end thereof;

Figure 2 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2--2 of Figure l and shows the general relationship of a battery binding post in respect to the battery terminal when the same is secured thereto;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the center line of the battery terminal of Figure l and shows the general construction thereof, a cam element for clamping said battery terminal to a battery binding post being rotated to a non-clamping position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the battery terminal and shows the construction of the yoke portion thereof, the cam element and its mounting fastener being omitted; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fastener for securing the cam element to the underside of a flat member forming a major portion of the battery terminal.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the difierent views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 a conventional storage battery which is of the type commonly used in modern vehicles. The storage battery 10 is provided with an upwardly tapered binding post 12 to which it is desired to attach one end of a battery wire terminal which is re- 'ice ferred to by the reference numeral 14. It will be understood that it is desirable to have a battery terminal which may be secured to the end of the battery wire 14 and tightly engage the binding post 12 in order to provide a good contact, and at the same time the battery terminal should be of a construction whereby it may be easily removed from the binding post 12.

illustrated mounted on the binding post 12 and secured to the end of the battery wire 14 is an improved battery terminal, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 16 and is the subject of this invention. The battery terminal 16 includes a cast member 18 which is preferably formed of lead, and a cam device, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 20. The member 18 includes a flat top portion 22 from which extends downwardly a yoke portion 24 adjacent one end thereof. The yoke portion 24 is generally rectangular in cross-section and includes a generally conical shaped recess 26 in which is adapted to tightly fit the binding post 12. It will be noted that the recess 26 has a vertically open side portion 28 facing toward the opposite end of the flat portion 22.

As is best illustrated in Figure 3, the flat portion 22 has a circular aperture 30 therethrough adjacent the other end thereof and in which is received a headed fastener 32. T he fastener 32 extends through the flat portion 22 and has mounted thereon the underside of the flat member 22 a truncated conical shaped cam element 34. The cam element 34 is secured to the fastener 32 for rotation therewith by being provided with a square cross-sectional bore 36 therethrough in which is received the square crosssectional lower end 38 of the fastener 32.

It will be understood that the bore 36 through the cam element 34 is offset from the center of the cam element whereby when the fastener 32 is rotated the outer periphery of the cam element 34 is moved towards the open side 28 of the recess 26. After the binding post 12 has been positioned within the recess 26, the fastener 32 is rotated by applying a wrench (not shown) on the head 40 thereof and rotating the same until the outer periphery of the cam element 34 engages the binding post 12 in order to clamp the same within the recess 26 of the yoke portion 24. Inasmuch as contact between the binding post 12 and the cam element 34 is desirable, and also to lock the cam element 34 against rotation, the outer periphery of the cam element 34 is serrated, as at 42. It will be understood that the serrations 42 dig into the binding post 12 when the fastener 32 is rotated and the cam element 34 is jammed thereagainst.

It will be understood that the battery terminal 16 may be easily and quickly secured to the binding post 12 by positioning the same over the binding post 12 and rotating the fastener 32. Inasmuch as no portion of the battery terminal 16 is disfigured to tightly clamp the binding post 12, it will be seen that the battery terminal may be easily and quickly removed from the binding post by merely rotating the fastener 32 to a position whereby the cam element 34 completely clears the binding post 12. The entire binding post 16 is then removed from the binding post 12 by merely raising the same vertically.

In order that the battery terminal 16 may be secured to the battery wire 14, it is provided with a sleeved portion 44 which extends longitudinally thereof and projects outwardly from the end adjacent the yoke portion 24. The sleeved portion 44 is provided with a longitudinally extending, cylindrical recess 46 in which is received one end of the battery wire 14 from which the insulation 48 has been removed. Communicating with the recess 46 is a threaded bore 50 in which is threadingly mounted a lock screw 52 which may be threaded into the recess 46 in order to clamp the battery wire 14 therein. It will be understood that the battery wire 14 may be removed from the recess 46 by merely loosening the lock screw 42 and pulling the same therefrom.

By providing the cam element 34 with a square bore 36 therethrough and utilizing a square lower end of the fastener 32, it will be seen that either the fastener 32 or the cam element 34 may be immediately replaced if it is necessary. Also, the head 40 of the fastener 32 is preferably hexagonal in cross-section in order that it may be engaged by a conventional wrench for turning the same.

details from the embodiment of the device illustrated and.

described here, may be; resorted to? without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended clairm Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A battery terminal for attachment to a battery post comprising an elongated member having a depending recessed yoke portion adapted to fit against one side of the post, and a fiatbottom portion adapted to fit. on top of the post and to extend beyond the opposite side of the post, a circumferentially serrated rotary cam member of truncated cone shape depending from said fiat bottom portion opposite said yoke portion with its larger end opposed flatwise to said flat bottom portion, and a fastener member rotatably depending through said flat bottom portion, said cam member being eccentrically fixed on said fastener member and adapted to engage said opposite side of the post upon rotation of said fastener member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,537,066 Callendar May 12'. 1925 1,738,157 Thurber Dec. 3, 1929 1,939,520 Pulici Dec. 12, 1933 2,125,203 Schanbacher July 26, 1938 2,222,129 Wenger Nov. 19, 1940 2,314,219 Johnson Mar. 16, 1943 

